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Moyer among Phillies' pitchers on a roll

Moyer among Phils' pitchers on a roll

PHILADELPHIA -- Everybody wants to know why the Phillies could have a 4-14 stretch in June before their 14-1 stretch entering Wednesday's series finale against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.

It's simple.

The pitching has been fantastic.

Phillies starters have a 2.26 ERA (26 earned runs in 103 1/3 innings) with 11 quality starts in their previous 15 games as the club enters Wednesday riding a 10-game winning streak.

Phils left-hander Jamie Moyer has enjoyed some of that success. Moyer, who starts Wednesday, is 3-0 with a 3.44 ERA in his previous three starts. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Mets on July 4, six runs in five innings against the Reds on July 9 and no runs in seven innings against the Marlins on Thursday.

Moyer is 3-0 with a 4.19 ERA in six career appearances against the Cubs, with whom he started his career in 1986. He had been scheduled to pitch Tuesday, but after Joe Blanton pitched just two innings against the Marlins they pushed back Moyer so Blanton wouldn't lose an entire turn in the rotation.

Pitching matchupPHI: LHP Jamie Moyer (9-6, 5.58 ERA)
Moyer continued his mastery of the Marlins in brilliant fashion during Thursday's win. The 46-year-old retired the first 12 and last eight hitters he faced through seven shutout innings, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out four and throwing 94 pitches -- 67 for strikes. The only inning he even put runners on was the fifth, when Jorge Cantu broke up his perfect game with a leadoff single and Ronny Paulino walked two batters later. Moyer is now 13-2 in 15 career games against Florida.

CHC: RHP Carlos Zambrano (6-4, 3.36 ERA)
Zambrano is coming off a win against the Nationals in which he lasted only five innings -- but that was because the right-hander ran up his pitch count early in the game. Zambrano struggled through a 40-pitch first inning, but gave up only one run, and it was unearned. In his past four starts, Big Z has posted a 2.25 ERA. His start against the Nationals was only the second time in 17 outings this year in which Zambrano did not go past five innings. He also helped himself by hitting a two-run double. Since 2005, Zambrano leads all Major League pitchers with 16 homers and 43 RBIs.

Tidbits
The Phillies entered Tuesday leading the Majors with a 2.30 ERA and runs (91) since July 3. They were 13-1 in that stretch. ... Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard both hit home runs in a 10-1 victory over the Cubs on Monday. It was the eighth time this season both players homered in the same game. Elias Sports Bureau reports that is the highest total for any duo in the Majors this season. The Rays' Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena and White Sox sluggers Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko have gone deep seven times this season. ... The Phils enter Wednesday with a 14-3 record in July, which is the best record in baseball. ... Philadelphia has .990 fielding percentage, the best in the National League.